How Can Human Free Will, Divine Sovereignty, and Divine Omniscience All Fit Together?

HOW CAN HUMAN FREE WILL, DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY, AND DIVINE OMNISCIENCE ALL FIT TOGETHER?

(MULTILINE REVEAL SMALL)

A. Let’s Define Our Terms

1. Human free will: Human beings are free moral agents and . Our are real, and our are our own.

“If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

2. Divine sovereignty: God and the universe. He has absolute authority and supremacy in .

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” (Isaiah 46:9b-11)

3. Divine omniscience: God knows everything that true in the past, everything that true in the present, and everything that be true in the future.

“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:1-5)

B. Three Views Over the Centuries

1. Fatalism: God has control over history. Humans do have freedom.

a. This view seem to reflect the entire biblical record.

2. Open Theism: God exercise control over history. Humans have freedom.

a. This view seem to reflect the entire biblical record.

3. Molinism: God control over history. Humans have freedom.

a. This view to reflect the entire biblical record.

i. God not only knows whathappen and what happen.

God also knows what happen in possible circumstance.

“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.” (Matthew 11:23)

“Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, ‘God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.’

And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, ‘Bring the ephod.’ David said, ‘LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard?

LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.’

And the LORD said, ‘He will.’

Again David asked, ‘Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?’

And the LORD said, ‘They will.’

So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.” (1 Samuel 23:7-13)

ii. Knowing what we will in a situation, God sovereignly us in that situation, and history accordingly.

Today’s “Big Idea”…

God directs history by His creation, by His creation.